Posts
Newsletter of IBM Ring #170
The Bev Bergeron Ring
Next general meeting Wednesday, 5/20/2009 at 7:30 PM SHARP
Meeting theme: Borrowed magic
I-HOP Kirkman Road
5203 Kirkman Road, Orlando, Florida 32819
Please join us for dinner beforehand
Lunch meetings in the McDonalds on the north side of SandLake Rd between I-4 and International Drive near the rest rooms
Website: http://www.ring170.com/
F. A. M. E. is the Florida Association of Magical Entertainers
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Directory
Craig J. Fennessy – President – CraigFennessy@gmail.com
Chris Dunn- Vice President – Youngdunns@yahoo.com
Art Thomas – Treasurer – Art.Thomas@Disney.com
Dennis Philips- Secretary – Dennis@alliedcostumes.com
James Songster- Director at Large, - JjTjMagic@aol.com
Joe Vecciarelli- Sgt at Arms - talkingmute@tampabay.rr.com
Stefan Bartelski – Editor of “Famulus”- Famulus@illusioneer.com
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GET PUBLISHED!
Got an idea for an article to add to the next FAMULUS? Put it in the body of an email or in a Word document attached to an email. Send it to Famulus@illusioneer.com, and we will get you in print.
Please, please, please, use the above e-mail address, your messages are in danger of getting lost if you do not do so.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
2009-05 From the Editor
Time flies when you are having fun, and look, it is already May.
Thanks to all contributors this month, all you budding authors, please do follow their example.
I am very sorry to hear that Dennis is leaving us, not just for his excellent articles and ring report every month, but he has always been a great friend when I am able to attend ring functions. Dennis, you will be missed.
Your editor
Stefan
Thanks to all contributors this month, all you budding authors, please do follow their example.
I am very sorry to hear that Dennis is leaving us, not just for his excellent articles and ring report every month, but he has always been a great friend when I am able to attend ring functions. Dennis, you will be missed.
Your editor
Stefan
2009-05 Ring Report
We have grown accustomed to meeting in the back room of the IHOP on Kirkman Road.
I even remembered the old pun: “Where is the favorite place for a magician’s rabbit to eat?” The answer is the “IHOP”.
President Craig Fennessy opened up the meeting with 28 people in the chairs. We had one guest, Ken Hicks from Norfolk, Virginia. The business meeting was short with thanks to all who helped with the recent flea-market and auction. Art Thomas says it was a success and the biggest attendance we have had in a long time. James Songster announced that the ring will be doing shows at “Give Kids the World” on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. He invites all members to come and perform for the families with terminally ill children that are visiting Disney. Bringing a little joy to them is the best magic in the world.
Ring member Captain Brett Railey of the Winter Park Police Department has been promoted to the new police chief. We are happy for him. No more handcuff escapes at club meetings?
Phil Schwartz took the stage for part 2 of his Magic Moment #11. This was a continuation of his lecture and demonstration of Thayer box magic. Phil is an expert and author on the subject and treated us to rare Thayer pieces such as a die box made to use a black cube with a dog bone painted on it. It was called “Dog Gone”. He explained that the one he was showing us was a Thayer copy and not an original. He also had more die boxes as well as a die box that vanished a billiard ball. Phil also has his CD for sale with thousands of one liners and emcee jokes called Chic Canery’s. He treated us to a couple of dozen or so and they are top-notch comedy material. He has the CD for sale.
Phil introduced Dan Stapleton who did a mini-lecture on “The Grandma’s Necklace” principle and many of its applications. He began with the Shanghai Shackle and moved through various classic versions, such as Dante’s “Lazy Magician”. Dan showed magic kits that used the principle with beads and string. He explained that the basic principle is explained in book one of Tarbell. Dan concluded with an effect that he sold by the hundreds at the Disney World Magic shop in the 70s, “Odd-ball” which uses the principle. He ended with a handcuff and coat escape using ropes.
Phil Schwartz emceed the evening’s ring show and first up was Jacki Manna who transformed the old Genie Bottle trick into a wonderful routine using her excellent “distant voice” ventriloquism. We all could imagine the genie in the bottle pulling on the rope. Charlie Pfrogner followed with the red and white boomerangs. They changed sizes and then he had a delightful finale with the wand he was using getting twice as long. Mike Martin did a great “Cards Across” routine with a male and female helper from the audience and a lot of funny lines. He also enlisted Bev Bergeron to hold up an egg-beater as a magic machine to make the magic happen. Kerry Pierce, KP the Great, laid out 16 cards on the table and had a spectator merely think of one and he found it. Guest Ken Hicks, from Norfolk, gave away a dollar bill to an audience member, but the humorous premise was hilarious. He then performed a theatrical piece of poetry with all the audience chiming in on the chorus. It was about “Fast food ain’t good enough to be slow”. Ken could easily play the part of Professor Harold Hill in “The Music Man”. Chris Dunn made an elephant disappear. Well, it was a small elephant plush toy, but it was still a big effect. Wrapping up the show was James Songster with the classic Block off the Cord. After the meeting President Fennessy mentioned that this was an action packed and full evening of solid magic. We all agreed!
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
I even remembered the old pun: “Where is the favorite place for a magician’s rabbit to eat?” The answer is the “IHOP”.
President Craig Fennessy opened up the meeting with 28 people in the chairs. We had one guest, Ken Hicks from Norfolk, Virginia. The business meeting was short with thanks to all who helped with the recent flea-market and auction. Art Thomas says it was a success and the biggest attendance we have had in a long time. James Songster announced that the ring will be doing shows at “Give Kids the World” on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. He invites all members to come and perform for the families with terminally ill children that are visiting Disney. Bringing a little joy to them is the best magic in the world.
Ring member Captain Brett Railey of the Winter Park Police Department has been promoted to the new police chief. We are happy for him. No more handcuff escapes at club meetings?
Phil Schwartz took the stage for part 2 of his Magic Moment #11. This was a continuation of his lecture and demonstration of Thayer box magic. Phil is an expert and author on the subject and treated us to rare Thayer pieces such as a die box made to use a black cube with a dog bone painted on it. It was called “Dog Gone”. He explained that the one he was showing us was a Thayer copy and not an original. He also had more die boxes as well as a die box that vanished a billiard ball. Phil also has his CD for sale with thousands of one liners and emcee jokes called Chic Canery’s. He treated us to a couple of dozen or so and they are top-notch comedy material. He has the CD for sale.
Phil introduced Dan Stapleton who did a mini-lecture on “The Grandma’s Necklace” principle and many of its applications. He began with the Shanghai Shackle and moved through various classic versions, such as Dante’s “Lazy Magician”. Dan showed magic kits that used the principle with beads and string. He explained that the basic principle is explained in book one of Tarbell. Dan concluded with an effect that he sold by the hundreds at the Disney World Magic shop in the 70s, “Odd-ball” which uses the principle. He ended with a handcuff and coat escape using ropes.
Phil Schwartz emceed the evening’s ring show and first up was Jacki Manna who transformed the old Genie Bottle trick into a wonderful routine using her excellent “distant voice” ventriloquism. We all could imagine the genie in the bottle pulling on the rope. Charlie Pfrogner followed with the red and white boomerangs. They changed sizes and then he had a delightful finale with the wand he was using getting twice as long. Mike Martin did a great “Cards Across” routine with a male and female helper from the audience and a lot of funny lines. He also enlisted Bev Bergeron to hold up an egg-beater as a magic machine to make the magic happen. Kerry Pierce, KP the Great, laid out 16 cards on the table and had a spectator merely think of one and he found it. Guest Ken Hicks, from Norfolk, gave away a dollar bill to an audience member, but the humorous premise was hilarious. He then performed a theatrical piece of poetry with all the audience chiming in on the chorus. It was about “Fast food ain’t good enough to be slow”. Ken could easily play the part of Professor Harold Hill in “The Music Man”. Chris Dunn made an elephant disappear. Well, it was a small elephant plush toy, but it was still a big effect. Wrapping up the show was James Songster with the classic Block off the Cord. After the meeting President Fennessy mentioned that this was an action packed and full evening of solid magic. We all agreed!
Good things are always happening in Ring 170.
Dennis Phillips
2009-05 Musings on John Calvert
ADVENTURES
IN MAGIC LAND
THE MAKING
OF ENIGMA THE DVD
John Calvert,
98 years young on August 5th.....AND STILL GOING STRONG.
WOW!
When I heard John was going to give a lecture for the Leesburg club and then the next night he was going to perform as their head-liner at a show in the Villages I was elated.
Growing up in suburban Philadelphia where the magic bug bit me in the early 40's I had read about John Calvert and the exciting world traveling life he lead, entertaining the stars in Hollywood, becoming a film star in his own right... as The Falcon and a lot of evil doer parts in many westerns... visiting in many countries around the world and entertaining royalty and the public alike...hunting in Africa and on and on and on...as reported by Bill Rauscher in his bio-book of John's life written in 1987. Calvert was right up there with Dante and Blackstone in my estimation. I had seen Dante and Blackstone in the 40's but not the illusive world traveling Calvert.
FLIP WIPE to the by pass around Jacksonville.
I was driving on my way from New York to Florida when I looked up and saw a giant billboard advertising the Calvert Show at the Morocco Shrine Auditorium. My mouth went dry and my brain went numb. I was going to finally see John Calvert in person. I was wrong. The final shows were the past week. The billboard had not been changed. Thwarted!
FLIP WIPE to the Florida Keys in the early 90's
Chris and I were vacationing in a little out of the way campground when I picked up the local newspaper and was knocked on my ....uh!...lower anatomy. There I saw a full page ad for the John Calvert Show appearing ..NOW.. in the next Key north of us! Needless to say we jumped in the car and attended the show.
I was selected with a few other men to join John on stage where he did a ping-pong ball routine directing us in stage whispers unknown to the audience. I felt awed to be a participant.
Chris was selected to come on-stage. On the way up he somehow lost his wrist watch to the nimble-fingered Calvert and when they got to the stage John presented it to him. Unbeknownst to Chris he had volunteered as the person who
After the show I introduced myself and John graciously invited us back to his boat, The Magic Castle, in which he had traveled to the Keys. That evening we spent three or four hours of reminiscing with John and Tammy and being entertained with John's close-up tricks. He could nap a coin up his sleeve with the flick of his fingers. One time he had me hold the sleeve and the coin still disappeared. (He had placed it on his pant leg and it slid down into the pants cuff)....simple stuff but in John's hands...... UNBELIEVABLE
FLIP WIPE to Melbourne, Florida 2007
We had contacted John & Tammy to videotape an interview. We met him at the Masonic Lodge in Melbourne where we would tape it. He had two huge trailers of equipment parked in their compound ready to start a tour. John challenged me to race from the trailers to the lodge location. I declined telling him that I had just recuperated from a hip replacement. I am twenty years younger than John but I'm sure he still would have won the race. (That night in the Villages lecture he challenged two burlys to a test of strength where they each tried simultaneously to unbalance him before he could unbalance them. OF COURSE, HE WON.)
The interview went well and was in ENIGMA the dvd # 4. We had fun and this is how we ended the tape...the old Shirt-Pull Gag! I still have that shirt and any of you who attended the lecture saw me wearing it.
I can’t wait to see his performance at the London Palladium on his 100th birthday.
I’ll be there!!!!!!!!!!
Chuck STYLESMITH Smith
2009-05 Magic in Wired Magzine
Great issue of Wired Magazine this month.
Magazine Cover
http://tinyurl.com/cmxpbt
Contents
http://tinyurl.com/s26o
Interview with J.J. Abrams
Article about Teller
A lot other magic and puzzle articles
Teller Article
http://tinyurl.com/dk524h
Joe Vecciarelli
Magazine Cover
http://tinyurl.com/cmxpbt
Contents
http://tinyurl.com/s26o
Interview with J.J. Abrams
Article about Teller
A lot other magic and puzzle articles
Teller Article
http://tinyurl.com/dk524h
Joe Vecciarelli
2009-05 Dennis' Penultimate Deliberations
Allied Costumes 1975-2009
This will be my next to the last regular column. I will have more on me leaving Orlando below but first some original magic! I carry on extended E-Mail conversations with many magic friends. One consistent friend and active professional magician is Larry Thornton in Calgary, Canada. Recently we were conversing about some killer card effects.
I offered him (and now you) this: Here is how I do a bit in my mentalism act (thanks a bit to Max Maven and Kenton Knipper): First, buy 4 decks and select from each 13 cards of the same cards. In these 13 you have 6 black cards and 7 red cards. Make one deck with 52 cards that are 13 identical cards repeated 4 times. As you take out the special deck (“13-4 times”) begin with the free and open choice to the spectator of a color with these words,“Sir, do you want me to remove the blacks or the reds from the deck. This is your free choice! You can change your mind. Think about it. Black or red?” You have the six black cards hidden on your body. One in each sock. One in each shoe. One in each shirt sleeve. If they say, “Black” says, “Is that your final choice?” “Then we will take out and use the Black ones. I am going to hand you this deck and look at any Black card and close the deck.” If they say “Red” say, “Is that your final choice?” “Then, by your choice, lets take out and throw away the red ones and when I hand you the deck look at any Black one.” “Now, tell the audience so they can share in what is your free choice”. After by play, show them that you had previously knew what they predicted by revealing the card you had hidden on your body. Buy 5 cheap decks at the dollar store (Charlie Pfrogner’s favorite magic shop!) and you have a miracle they will talk about. Print out this routine and sell the extra 3 sets at the next magic flea-market for 5 bucks a piece and the trick will cost you nothing!
Larry followed up with his version: I have on my desk, as I speak, a 3-way force deck that I made myself. Whether it's a commercial trick or not I don't know, but it's the nerviest card effect I own -- so much so, that I have lost my nerve to do it! The effect: I take a deck out of its case and casually fan through them faces out to show them all mixed, without verbally drawing attention to that fact, as I say, "I would like to have the assistance of three people." I close the deck and say to a gentleman, "We'll try a little mental experiment. I am about to hand you this deck of cards. Now it is very important that you follow my instructions EXACTLY. Please hold the deck tightly in your hand with the faces towards you, and carefully PEEK at just ONE card in the FIRST THIRD of the deck. You do this by pulling forward some of the cards in the bottom third of the deck, like this." (I open the deck at the top with the index finger of my free hand, forming a break.) "REMEMBER the card you peeked at." I emphasize, "It is IMPORTANT that you peek at only ONE card. Do not let more than one card slip by, as that might lead to confusion as which card you are to remember." I then quickly repeat the process with each of two more people, peeking at a MIDDLE card for the second person and a TOP THIRD card for the last volunteer, and then let all three people repeat the process. After some by-play (taking back the cards, showing them still mixed and pointing out the fairness of each selection, etc.) -- I THEN DRAMATICALLY NAME EACH CARD (or they could have been "divined" each time and written out on a chalk board or large pad). All the cards, of course, are different, and each person verifies it is indeed their selection. Unlike the "standard version" of this effect, there is no need to name three cards and have the spectators sit down when they hear their selection, simply because they all picked the same card from a one-way deck. THE DECK CONSTRUCTION: Top Third: 8 pairs of cards, with each pair consisting of an Eight of Clubs (shorted a la Svengali), in front of which is an indifferent unshorted card. They are 'glued' together at the bottoms only, with double-stick Scotch tape, available at any office supplies store. In other words, if the deck is face down, the top card would be the force (8C) and its pair an indifferent card. Middle Third: 8 pairs constructed the same, force card Queen of Diamonds. Bottom Third: Force card Nine of Hearts. So there are 48 cards in all (3 X 16 cards). Funny, but I just checked and found a 9-9-8 arrangement in my own deck, making 52 cards. No matter. We should reasonably assume all that double-stick Scotch tape would add to the thickness of the deck making it hard to remove from its case, but that doesn't seem to be so. Why the taped pairs? Simply so I can ribbon-spread the deck on the table, or hand to hand (platform version) to show the deck mixed. So..... Have I ever performed this little mental miracle under paid conditions? NO! I haven't the nerve to trust the average butter-fingered spectator. But believe.... if I pulled off the trick ... it would be killer effect. So it lies there on my desk ... unused ... and haunting me until the end of time........ thank you Larry!
*******************************************
I think that most of you know that my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia in June. Yes, after 34 years here in Orlando, we are making the big move. We moved to Orlando from Charlotte, NC in 1975 to open our costume business and we have just recently sold the business and the building. Much of the reason for the move to the Shenandoah Valley is that my wife wants to be close to her family and especially her sister. My brother-in-law is a science teacher in High School. Also, almost all the rest of her family is in the Washington, D.C. area which is a little less than 2 hours away. My wife originally was from Virginia and she has reminded me almost every day since we moved her in 1975 that she never wanted to move to Florida. Much of it was the climate and the separation from her family. In spite of her dislike for the climate, mold and pollen, sand and sun, she did manage to have a good time here the first few years. Orlando was a small town then. That was way back when Disney was just a single theme park down the road towards Tampa. There was no Post-Modern Orlando City skyline and you could still find orange trees in the city limits. But something happened in the mid 80s. Orlando shifted from a small town to a city with clogged traffic arteries and social and ethnic issues.
We tried to escape that by moving from Audubon Park (next to Baldwin Park) to Oviedo. In 1985 Oviedo was a small country town. Within 5 years it was an edge city with all the problems of the city of Orlando. We then decided to just move back downtown and not fight the suburban sprawl. From 1975 to 1990 I made much of my living doing magic shows. The shows were family oriented illusion shows for fund-raising. Most were not in Orlando but in distant small towns. The shows were promoted with telephone boiler rooms. Occasionally, I did convention shows and walk around magic at events. I did more convention shows in Jacksonville and Tampa than Orlando.
I did play the Bob Carr 3 times before 1979 and the Sanford Civic Center in 1985. From 1976 to 1978 I regularly performed in many local schools with my show as an evening fund-raiser. Dan Stapleton had his shirt ripped by students in a show at Robinswood Middle School about 1976. It was during a scene where a gorilla ran out into the audience. Halloween of 1976, Dan got me and my cast to help him with the Lake Eola Halloween Band-shell show. Along the way, I did shows for Ray Ramsey, a few with Bev and Dan. I played Disney Conventions a few times. Shows within the Orlando area were always “catch what I can”. 1990 was the year of the first Gulf War and a Recession followed. Usually an economic downturn did not affect small-town fund-raising shows. But 1990 was different. Small town merchants were hit hard by the expanding Wal*Mart and began closing. The backbone of my marketing crumbled as the old tap lists of local sponsors dried up. It was sad to go through the little Florida towns and see the downtowns dead. Moreover, cable and satellite TV and VCRs started to keep people home. Live entertainment suffered. My magic show business mostly dried up. Plus, every little town now had a local illusionist who, armed with a jig saw and Paul Osborne plans, made boxes and grabbed the dates.
My wife and I transitioned into a smaller act for ballroom dancing showcases and I played a yearly route of church programs with Dr. Steve Brown. I plowed my efforts into my costume shop and was surviving from it. Then came 911 and an economic Recession followed by Hurricane Charley. My partly insured warehouse was destroyed by the hurricane. Combine all these downturns with the rise of “Spirit Costumes” (and all of the temporary stores at Halloween) and the plethora of cheap Red Chinese Halloween stuff that is imported and sold on the internet and every avenue of the costume and magic business collapsed for me here in Central Florida. Last year, after plowing over $50,000 in five years into the costume business, my wife (the manager and loyal partner through all of this) said that we had to close. My accountant had even harsher words for me and questioned my sanity for hoping things would get better. My financial planner even threatened to take back the calendar he had given me!
We decided after last Halloween to list my business building for sale and liquidate the business. We sold many of the costumes to Orlando Vintage and Costumes and they will carry on with our place in the market. The owner, Lisa Smith also handles vintage clothing and has an internet presence. She is active in doing wardrobe for films. So, I am concluding a 22 year long stretch teaching as an adjunct (part timer) at Valencia Community College in the Theater department and the last 5 years in public high school. I also have 12 years teaching as an adjunct at The Institute for Christian Studies (Medieval to Reformation Theology and Philosophy). We leave many friendships, our grown children and a lifetime of memories behind.
One of the joys of living here has been having an active Magic Ring, which I believe is the best in the country, along with many professional and long time personal friends in magic. Being a lifetime member, I will always keep you in my heart.
I am not sure yet what I will be doing for a living in Harrisonburg. There are 2 universities and a college near by and I have applications in at all of them. The TV station in town has also expressed and interest to me in either engineering (I am a broadcast engineer) or in news or sales. I am transporting all my magic and supporting equipment and wardrobe so it will be close to me and available for shows. There is a 4 season ski resort nearby. I will keep you posted. My final details and good-byes to all will be in next month’s article!
Dennis Phillips
This will be my next to the last regular column. I will have more on me leaving Orlando below but first some original magic! I carry on extended E-Mail conversations with many magic friends. One consistent friend and active professional magician is Larry Thornton in Calgary, Canada. Recently we were conversing about some killer card effects.
I offered him (and now you) this: Here is how I do a bit in my mentalism act (thanks a bit to Max Maven and Kenton Knipper): First, buy 4 decks and select from each 13 cards of the same cards. In these 13 you have 6 black cards and 7 red cards. Make one deck with 52 cards that are 13 identical cards repeated 4 times. As you take out the special deck (“13-4 times”) begin with the free and open choice to the spectator of a color with these words,“Sir, do you want me to remove the blacks or the reds from the deck. This is your free choice! You can change your mind. Think about it. Black or red?” You have the six black cards hidden on your body. One in each sock. One in each shoe. One in each shirt sleeve. If they say, “Black” says, “Is that your final choice?” “Then we will take out and use the Black ones. I am going to hand you this deck and look at any Black card and close the deck.” If they say “Red” say, “Is that your final choice?” “Then, by your choice, lets take out and throw away the red ones and when I hand you the deck look at any Black one.” “Now, tell the audience so they can share in what is your free choice”. After by play, show them that you had previously knew what they predicted by revealing the card you had hidden on your body. Buy 5 cheap decks at the dollar store (Charlie Pfrogner’s favorite magic shop!) and you have a miracle they will talk about. Print out this routine and sell the extra 3 sets at the next magic flea-market for 5 bucks a piece and the trick will cost you nothing!
Larry followed up with his version: I have on my desk, as I speak, a 3-way force deck that I made myself. Whether it's a commercial trick or not I don't know, but it's the nerviest card effect I own -- so much so, that I have lost my nerve to do it! The effect: I take a deck out of its case and casually fan through them faces out to show them all mixed, without verbally drawing attention to that fact, as I say, "I would like to have the assistance of three people." I close the deck and say to a gentleman, "We'll try a little mental experiment. I am about to hand you this deck of cards. Now it is very important that you follow my instructions EXACTLY. Please hold the deck tightly in your hand with the faces towards you, and carefully PEEK at just ONE card in the FIRST THIRD of the deck. You do this by pulling forward some of the cards in the bottom third of the deck, like this." (I open the deck at the top with the index finger of my free hand, forming a break.) "REMEMBER the card you peeked at." I emphasize, "It is IMPORTANT that you peek at only ONE card. Do not let more than one card slip by, as that might lead to confusion as which card you are to remember." I then quickly repeat the process with each of two more people, peeking at a MIDDLE card for the second person and a TOP THIRD card for the last volunteer, and then let all three people repeat the process. After some by-play (taking back the cards, showing them still mixed and pointing out the fairness of each selection, etc.) -- I THEN DRAMATICALLY NAME EACH CARD (or they could have been "divined" each time and written out on a chalk board or large pad). All the cards, of course, are different, and each person verifies it is indeed their selection. Unlike the "standard version" of this effect, there is no need to name three cards and have the spectators sit down when they hear their selection, simply because they all picked the same card from a one-way deck. THE DECK CONSTRUCTION: Top Third: 8 pairs of cards, with each pair consisting of an Eight of Clubs (shorted a la Svengali), in front of which is an indifferent unshorted card. They are 'glued' together at the bottoms only, with double-stick Scotch tape, available at any office supplies store. In other words, if the deck is face down, the top card would be the force (8C) and its pair an indifferent card. Middle Third: 8 pairs constructed the same, force card Queen of Diamonds. Bottom Third: Force card Nine of Hearts. So there are 48 cards in all (3 X 16 cards). Funny, but I just checked and found a 9-9-8 arrangement in my own deck, making 52 cards. No matter. We should reasonably assume all that double-stick Scotch tape would add to the thickness of the deck making it hard to remove from its case, but that doesn't seem to be so. Why the taped pairs? Simply so I can ribbon-spread the deck on the table, or hand to hand (platform version) to show the deck mixed. So..... Have I ever performed this little mental miracle under paid conditions? NO! I haven't the nerve to trust the average butter-fingered spectator. But believe.... if I pulled off the trick ... it would be killer effect. So it lies there on my desk ... unused ... and haunting me until the end of time........ thank you Larry!
*******************************************
I think that most of you know that my wife and I are moving to Harrisonburg, Virginia in June. Yes, after 34 years here in Orlando, we are making the big move. We moved to Orlando from Charlotte, NC in 1975 to open our costume business and we have just recently sold the business and the building. Much of the reason for the move to the Shenandoah Valley is that my wife wants to be close to her family and especially her sister. My brother-in-law is a science teacher in High School. Also, almost all the rest of her family is in the Washington, D.C. area which is a little less than 2 hours away. My wife originally was from Virginia and she has reminded me almost every day since we moved her in 1975 that she never wanted to move to Florida. Much of it was the climate and the separation from her family. In spite of her dislike for the climate, mold and pollen, sand and sun, she did manage to have a good time here the first few years. Orlando was a small town then. That was way back when Disney was just a single theme park down the road towards Tampa. There was no Post-Modern Orlando City skyline and you could still find orange trees in the city limits. But something happened in the mid 80s. Orlando shifted from a small town to a city with clogged traffic arteries and social and ethnic issues.
We tried to escape that by moving from Audubon Park (next to Baldwin Park) to Oviedo. In 1985 Oviedo was a small country town. Within 5 years it was an edge city with all the problems of the city of Orlando. We then decided to just move back downtown and not fight the suburban sprawl. From 1975 to 1990 I made much of my living doing magic shows. The shows were family oriented illusion shows for fund-raising. Most were not in Orlando but in distant small towns. The shows were promoted with telephone boiler rooms. Occasionally, I did convention shows and walk around magic at events. I did more convention shows in Jacksonville and Tampa than Orlando.
I did play the Bob Carr 3 times before 1979 and the Sanford Civic Center in 1985. From 1976 to 1978 I regularly performed in many local schools with my show as an evening fund-raiser. Dan Stapleton had his shirt ripped by students in a show at Robinswood Middle School about 1976. It was during a scene where a gorilla ran out into the audience. Halloween of 1976, Dan got me and my cast to help him with the Lake Eola Halloween Band-shell show. Along the way, I did shows for Ray Ramsey, a few with Bev and Dan. I played Disney Conventions a few times. Shows within the Orlando area were always “catch what I can”. 1990 was the year of the first Gulf War and a Recession followed. Usually an economic downturn did not affect small-town fund-raising shows. But 1990 was different. Small town merchants were hit hard by the expanding Wal*Mart and began closing. The backbone of my marketing crumbled as the old tap lists of local sponsors dried up. It was sad to go through the little Florida towns and see the downtowns dead. Moreover, cable and satellite TV and VCRs started to keep people home. Live entertainment suffered. My magic show business mostly dried up. Plus, every little town now had a local illusionist who, armed with a jig saw and Paul Osborne plans, made boxes and grabbed the dates.
My wife and I transitioned into a smaller act for ballroom dancing showcases and I played a yearly route of church programs with Dr. Steve Brown. I plowed my efforts into my costume shop and was surviving from it. Then came 911 and an economic Recession followed by Hurricane Charley. My partly insured warehouse was destroyed by the hurricane. Combine all these downturns with the rise of “Spirit Costumes” (and all of the temporary stores at Halloween) and the plethora of cheap Red Chinese Halloween stuff that is imported and sold on the internet and every avenue of the costume and magic business collapsed for me here in Central Florida. Last year, after plowing over $50,000 in five years into the costume business, my wife (the manager and loyal partner through all of this) said that we had to close. My accountant had even harsher words for me and questioned my sanity for hoping things would get better. My financial planner even threatened to take back the calendar he had given me!
We decided after last Halloween to list my business building for sale and liquidate the business. We sold many of the costumes to Orlando Vintage and Costumes and they will carry on with our place in the market. The owner, Lisa Smith also handles vintage clothing and has an internet presence. She is active in doing wardrobe for films. So, I am concluding a 22 year long stretch teaching as an adjunct (part timer) at Valencia Community College in the Theater department and the last 5 years in public high school. I also have 12 years teaching as an adjunct at The Institute for Christian Studies (Medieval to Reformation Theology and Philosophy). We leave many friendships, our grown children and a lifetime of memories behind.
One of the joys of living here has been having an active Magic Ring, which I believe is the best in the country, along with many professional and long time personal friends in magic. Being a lifetime member, I will always keep you in my heart.
I am not sure yet what I will be doing for a living in Harrisonburg. There are 2 universities and a college near by and I have applications in at all of them. The TV station in town has also expressed and interest to me in either engineering (I am a broadcast engineer) or in news or sales. I am transporting all my magic and supporting equipment and wardrobe so it will be close to me and available for shows. There is a 4 season ski resort nearby. I will keep you posted. My final details and good-byes to all will be in next month’s article!
Dennis Phillips
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